USWHC -Chapter 75 A Curse About Water (Part 5)

Suddenly, two figures emerged from the shadows of the trees. Their footsteps were so light that they seemed to appear without a sound. Aside from the rustling of leaves swayed by the wind, there was nothing else.

Both of them instinctively looked toward Zhu Jie in the distance. By now, she had already walked out of the orchard with Huaizhuo, and the two seemed to be talking about something.

“Master!” One of them—a man in black with his face covered—called softly. He seemed to want to say more, but abruptly stopped.

The man being addressed as “Master” finally withdrew his gaze from Zhu Jie and silently turned back, but his eyes suddenly became sharp and cold, exuding a chilling intensity. “Who allowed you to come and kill her?”

His gaze was piercing, and the words carried such authority that the man in black instinctively dropped to his knees.

But if one looked closely at his attire, one would notice that he wore a simple coarse cloth robe, which did not match the aura of command he exuded. He shouldn’t have been dressed in such patched clothing.

The man in black showed a flicker of unease on his face but stiffly tried to justify himself: “Master, this woman’s origins are unknown. She cannot be allowed to stay, let alone become your wife!”

His wife? Yes—the person radiating such commanding presence, the one called “Master” by others, was none other than Ji Yi!

Ji Yi let out a soft snort through his nose. “You’re overthinking it. Since when did she become my wife?”

“Ah?” The man in black was momentarily stunned. “But it’s all over the village!”

“Don’t worry. She’s just staying with me temporarily. She might leave at any moment,” Ji Yi said casually.

But the man in black was unconvinced. “Master, you must not take this lightly! This woman is skilled in martial arts, and she might have been deliberately placed here to get close to you. Who knows what her intentions are? Could she be an assassin?”

“An assassin?” Ji Yi laughed with contempt, clearly amused by the thought. Yet he didn’t explain further. Instead, he said with full confidence, “Do you not trust my judgment? If I cannot even see through a single woman, how could I ever judge people? How could I shoulder any important responsibilities?”

The man in black was momentarily speechless. He bit his lip, unsure what to say. After a long pause, he hesitantly said, “I understand. Master has reached the age… but your marriage has long been arranged by the Lord…”

Before he could finish, Ji Yi snorted coldly. “The Lord? In your minds, he is still the Lord, while I am still that ignorant fool from Wu?!”

His words struck abruptly. The man in black froze, looking up at him in shock, but then instinctively lowered his head again.

He was no longer a mere youth. At that moment, Ji Yi’s aura of authority was overwhelming, suffocating even. The decisiveness and commanding presence that seemed to emanate from him had long been formed.

Indeed, someone from a rural background could still possess such an aura. He was beginning to resemble that man—an innate presence flowing through his very bones, impossible to ignore.

The man in black sighed inwardly. He felt like he was walking on thin ice. He understood—this was a choice he had to make, sooner or later.

While he hesitated, unsure how to respond, Ji Yi suddenly bent down and gently helped him to his feet.

“You’re hurt!” His voice was soft, completely different now, gentle as if spoken by the most trusted friend.

The man in black was momentarily stunned, almost unable to react. Ji Yi tore a strip of cloth from his clothing and carefully bound the wound on his arm—the one that Zhu Jie had inflicted with a branch earlier. It wasn’t deep, but a fresh red scratch was clearly visible.

“If I hadn’t held you back earlier, she might have hurt you,” Ji Yi said, a tinge of regret and deep concern in his voice.

The man in black stared at him in astonishment, unsure how to respond. He could only watch as the man, whose expressions changed as quickly as flipping pages, gently tended to his wound. The more he saw, the more terrifying Ji Yi became.